Obviously, there were a lot of elements to this journey that just can’t be covered in one blog post (though I do share more of that journey in my book, but here I’d like to share one that I found and continue to find VITALLY important.

It’s a place where a lot of people struggle, and where, frankly, some amazing ideas find their way into the idea graveyard or garbage can, never seeing the light of day.

It’s a crucial point in time, in the process of creating a grand vision…

It’s… right… in… the… beginning….

The… birth… of… this… fresh… young… tender… idea…

The Birth of an Idea…

You know the feeling: Ahh… inspiration! You’re relaxed, you’re taking a bath or a shower, you’re walking in the woods… and it hits you! What if I create this? What if I start this? What if I change this? What if I do this?

And it’s an exciting time! Yes! This is it! This is going to be great… this is going to change the world… this is going to change my life…. I’m going to do it!

Now… hit “Pause” on that scene, because this is a crucial time in the life of an idea.

You have two choices here:

A. Tell others about it, tell the world about it, and take action

B. Stay silent and take action

What choice would you make here? What choice have you made in the past?

What do you think I’m going to recommend? Well, the title of this blog post might have given that answer away, “Shhh…don’t tell anyone…”

How to Nurture an Idea…

At this point in the lifecycle of an idea, I highly recommend you stay silent OR at the very most share it with one or two people who you REALLY, REALLY trust to give you positive feedback (though that can be really hard to find, so the preference is to stay silent!)

Why? Because this little (eventually big!) idea is just a little seedling. Like the young tender plants that my wife Brenna and I (mostly her!) plant and nurture inside for spring planting, we must get them strong and ready to be in the ground.

They need just the right amount of water, just the right amount of light, just the right amount of air…

So does your IDEA.

Let’s play out the opposite scenario, where you share your idea with someone, especially when it’s young, not fully formed, tender…

You say, “Hey John! I just had this great idea to do X…” and John says, “Really? Wow, I don’t know about that, sounds like it would be really hard…”

Or even something a little bit more positive like… “That’s a really cool idea, but you have to be aware of this…”

Or whatever John says that isn’t 100% positive, nurturing and uplifting. THIS is the place where ideas die. THIS is the place where that initial enthusiasm gets squashed and you start questioning yourself, “Maybe John is right…”

(Important Note: Fortunately, with the power of Tapping, if you are in this place you can actually bring the idea back to life, by letting go of the limiting beliefs, the fears, what you heard, etc. If you’re not familiar with Tapping, you can learn about it here.

What’s crazy about this moment in the life cycle of the idea is that someone could be positive, but even give you a “look” that deflates your enthusiasm… and… the idea withers.

We are, for better or worse, really influenced by our peers, our parents, our society (and again, you can tap on working to clear that influence!)

When to share your idea…

Now, let’s be honest here, the strength of your idea WILL be tested at some point. It’s a given. I’m not saying, “Never tell anyone about it!” because that’s obviously impossible. When I had the idea to make the film, I had to get buy-in from other people to support the vision. I had to share the idea.

The key is to either:

A. Wait until you’ve thought about it more, started on the project (it’s harder for people to squash something you’ve already started!), and moved further down the line.

B. When the idea does get tested, wherever it is in its life cycle, TAP to clear out any fear, limiting beliefs, etc, as per above.

When young plantlings are ready for the garden, they will thrive and grow because of the care we’ve taken with them in the beginning.

Treat your ideas with that same tender care, and they will flourish, come to life, and manifest in this world!

“It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world.” – Aristotle

(my addition to the quote: “So it’s not about having the idea, it’s about nurturing it to grow and spread in the world!)

Make sure to leave your comments, what direction you think you’ve taken in the past, and what direction you think you’ll take going forward.

Have you had a great idea that perhaps you shared a little too soon, and weren’t happy with the reaction of others? How did that make you feel? Did you tap on it? What do you think about keeping the idea to yourself until it grows and strengthens? Comment below!